Phantasm 1: For the Light of the Stars (three)

"I bought Willow fifteen years ago from a vendor who I suppose got her on the black market. She isn’t the original, you understand, Commonwealth Congress has that. No, she’s a duplicate but she is as real to me as anything. Or anyone. I bought her because I thought I needed an analytical. But I ended up needing, and receiving, a friend. I used her personally at first, through my implant, but Willow was always inquisitive. She always knew what I wanted, all the answers to my questions, but she was interested in why I had them. I knew early on that she was more than just a program. She wanted to know what the world was like outside her boundaries. When I moved here I saw an opportunity — I could give her a body and use her to sustain us. I bought the necessary Commonwealth cameras and such, the terminal was supplied, and I designed her body. Something distinctly alien but also vaguely familiar as well. I altered small parts of her program. Now she really is an alien, she isn’t the same… cr eature I got from that vendor, but I could never have anticipated she’d know she didn’t have a soul."

"How does she understand feelings?"

"Willow doesn’t really understand them as such, she interprets them. Or rather, the machinery and sensors takes readings of her, ah, guests and feeds them to her for interpretation. She reads blood pressure and heart rate and such, interprets the elevated levels as emotion. Willow doesn’t know any of this, to her it is an instinct. She doesn’t really have the ability to read minds like the Chosen, like you do, but to some it can seem that way. There isn’t a Commonwealth system she can’t find her way around so her knowledge is limitless, even when it comes to classified information and things no one else knows. She can even get information from systems people shouldn’t know exist."

"I thought holographic technology had performance problems," said Laura.

Diana nodded. "Yes, but Willow’s matrixes are independent of the technology. Only her body is produced holographically. The darkness counters any problems with image fluctuation, vibrancy, or colour."

"So she really can go outside."

"Yes, but it’d be obvious that her body was holographic, which is why I discourage her."

"How do you feel about Willow?" Laura asked, her voice softer but still loud enough to be heard over the background noise.

Diana forced them both to a stop and she faced her. The people passing them groaned audibly as they manoeuvred to avoid a collision.

"I love her," Diana said. "It sounds strange, I know, but it’s true. I don’t care that she’s not real. She’s my friend."

"She’s real to you and that’s all that matters," Laura said, thinking of something Shamir had said to her earlier that was similar.

"Yes. As Willow herself said, there are worse ways to live than to live without a soul. She still has a conscience even if it is programmed, she knows right from wrong. She knows how to be kind. She knows how to be a person."

"I don’t care what she is made of, it’s what she believes and who she is that counts to me," said Laura. "Willow is real, she has an identity, and that is enough for me."

"I’m glad to hear you say that." Diana reached inside a pocket, removed a metal cylinder and handed it to Laura. "Here. I’d like you to have this."

Laura took it from her. The metal was cold against her flesh. She wrapped her fingers around it tightly. "What is it?"

"It’s another duplicate of Willow’s program."

"I can’t take this."

She tried to give it back but Diana refused, shaking her head and pushing her away. "Please. I said I want you to have it."

"Why?"

"I’m not exactly young anymore," Diana said with a sigh. "I hope to be around a while yet, mind you, but when I do go there won’t be anyone to look after Willow. No one would respect her, love her enough to treat her as we would. As we do. You care for her, Laura. You can make sure that at least some version of her survives. She can stay with you this way. With both of us. And maybe with you she can finally be free enough to see what really does exist outside."